Attersee and Traunkirchen
Trip Start
Jul 25, 2012
1
8
22
Trip End
Aug 18, 2012
Traunkirchen, Upper Austria, Austria
Sunday, August 5, 2012
The kids entertained themselves by throwing grass in to the lake for the swans to eat. One Austrian (yes, OK, they could have been German, or even Swiss, I didn't ask - why does it matter so much to you spanish_fly? You really destroy my flow of words!) told the kids that they were crazy, which seemed a bit rude until I saw the swans float back into view, sporting a decorative covering of green grass. I got the kids to stop chucking grass at that point and we went to get a drink.
The waitress asked if they would like big or small glasses and they all ambitiously opted for large ones. I think they were all a bit shocked when the were given half litre vases of juice to drink. Big drinks makes for lots of stops to pee.
The area was so beautiful, we decided to take the scenic route across to Traunkirche, by skirting the lake first, then heading east. We stopped several times, ostensibly to take photos, but also to let the kids out. They were suffering from a mixture of over-tired bickering and over-full bladders. Each pause relieved some of the symptoms of both these afflictions, especially when Donny ducked down just as a diver popped up and the other two girls nearly wet themselves laughing.
Traunkirche was more or less shutting up shop when we arrived. It didn't matter, it was peaceful and we like that better. The church we had come to see was perched above a park with a little fountain in it. There appeared to be air in the fountain's pipes and the water was bubbling out with the most amazing flatulent noises. The kids played in the little play area and amused themselves by writing in the slime growing on the walls inside of the farting fountain. Who needs Disneyland, eh?
Inside the church are lots of gold-plated decorations, reminding me of some of the more ornate churches we'd seen in Eastern Europe. The pulpit was fabulous, though. It is designed in the shape of a boat, with a pair of apostles casting their nets at the feet of where the priest would stand. It really is lovely, and worth a visit.
On the way down through Germany, a stone or two smashed in to the windscreen on the motorway, leaving a chip and as I now discovered, a spiderweb of cracks too. The cracks gently lengthened as we drove back to Bob's. I had visions of a sudden pop followed by a coating of glass for us all. Hmm. New windscreen needed.
Bob, however, pulled a fast one on us as we got back. Firstly, it seemed the Bosnian children next door wanted our kids to come and play in their pool, which I have to say, they did. Secondly, as the weather was so good, Bob announced he was off to Bavaria on a canoeing trip for the rest of the week and here's the key!
After a whirlwind of packing, Bob disappeared, leaving the house feeling quite empty. The thunder and lightning started but the kids were too busy eating goulash with the Bosnians to care.
